> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently Asked Questions

> Common questions about yt-dlp functionality and usage

Answers to the most common questions about using yt-dlp.

## General Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is yt-dlp?">
    yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader with support for thousands of sites. It's a fork of youtube-dl with additional features and fixes.

    Key improvements over youtube-dl:

    * Faster and more frequently updated
    * Better format selection
    * More extractors and features
    * SponsorBlock integration
    * Better playlist handling
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is yt-dlp legal to use?">
    yt-dlp is a legal tool, but how you use it matters:

    **Legal uses:**

    * Downloading your own videos
    * Downloading content you have rights to
    * Downloading public domain or Creative Commons content
    * Personal backups of content you have access to

    **Potentially illegal:**

    * Downloading copyrighted content without permission
    * Bypassing DRM protection
    * Violating a website's Terms of Service

    <Warning>
      You are responsible for complying with copyright laws and terms of service in your jurisdiction.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between yt-dlp and youtube-dl?">
    yt-dlp is a fork of youtube-dl with:

    * More frequent updates and active development
    * Additional features (SponsorBlock, better format selection, etc.)
    * More supported sites and extractors
    * Better performance
    * Bug fixes and improvements

    yt-dlp maintains compatibility with youtube-dl while adding new capabilities.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which Python version do I need?">
    * **Python 3.10+** (CPython)
    * **Python 3.11+** (PyPy)

    If you use standalone binaries, Python is already included.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need ffmpeg?">
    While technically optional, **ffmpeg is strongly recommended** for:

    * Merging video and audio streams
    * Converting formats
    * Embedding thumbnails and metadata
    * Downloading HLS/DASH streams
    * Most post-processing tasks

    Download from: [yt-dlp/FFmpeg-Builds](https://github.com/yt-dlp/FFmpeg-Builds/releases)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Installation & Updates

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I install yt-dlp?">
    **Recommended methods:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Standalone binary (Linux/macOS)
    sudo wget https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -O /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
    sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp

    # Windows (download .exe)
    # https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp.exe

    # Via pip
    pip install yt-dlp

    # Via pip with all extras
    pip install "yt-dlp[default,curl-cffi]"
    ```

    See the [Installation](/installation) guide for more options.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I update yt-dlp?">
    **For standalone binaries:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --update

    # Update to nightly (recommended)
    yt-dlp --update-to nightly
    ```

    **For pip installations:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    pip install -U yt-dlp

    # Install nightly with pip
    pip install -U --pre "yt-dlp[default]"
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I use stable or nightly builds?">
    **Use nightly builds** for regular use. They are:

    * Updated daily with latest fixes
    * More reliable for frequently-changing sites
    * The recommended version for bug reports

    **Stable builds** are less frequent and may have older extractors.

    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --update-to nightly
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I install yt-dlp-ejs for YouTube?">
    yt-dlp-ejs is required for full YouTube support.

    **Included in:** Most standalone binaries

    **For pip installations:**

    1. Install a JavaScript runtime (deno recommended):
       ```bash theme={null}
       # Install deno
       curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh
       ```

    2. yt-dlp will automatically fetch yt-dlp-ejs when needed

    See the [EJS wiki](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/wiki/EJS) for detailed setup.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Downloading

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I download the best quality video?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Best overall quality (may be webm)
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio" URL

    # Best MP4 video
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" URL

    # Simpler: use preset
    yt-dlp --preset-alias mp4 URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download audio only?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Extract audio
    yt-dlp -x URL

    # Extract as MP3
    yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 URL

    # Or use preset
    yt-dlp --preset-alias mp3 URL

    # Best quality audio (no conversion)
    yt-dlp -f "bestaudio" URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download an entire playlist?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download entire playlist
    yt-dlp PLAYLIST_URL

    # Download specific items
    yt-dlp --playlist-items 1-10,15,20 PLAYLIST_URL

    # Download in reverse order
    yt-dlp --playlist-reverse PLAYLIST_URL

    # Skip first N videos
    yt-dlp --playlist-start 5 PLAYLIST_URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download a video and playlist simultaneously?">
    By default, if a URL contains both a video and playlist, only the video is downloaded.

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download entire playlist
    yt-dlp --yes-playlist URL

    # Download only the video
    yt-dlp --no-playlist URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I limit download to specific quality?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Max 1080p
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" URL

    # Exactly 720p
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height=720]+bestaudio" URL

    # Max file size
    yt-dlp --max-filesize 100M URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download subtitles?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download all available subtitles
    yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs all URL

    # Download auto-generated subs
    yt-dlp --write-auto-subs --sub-langs en URL

    # Embed subtitles in video
    yt-dlp --embed-subs URL

    # Specific languages
    yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs en,es,fr URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download livestreams?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download from current position
    yt-dlp URL

    # Download from start (experimental)
    yt-dlp --live-from-start URL

    # Wait for scheduled stream
    yt-dlp --wait-for-video 60 URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I resume interrupted downloads?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Resume (enabled by default)
    yt-dlp --continue URL

    # Restart from beginning
    yt-dlp --no-continue URL
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Authentication

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I download private/members-only videos?">
    Use cookies from your logged-in browser:

    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox URL
    ```

    Supported browsers: `firefox`, `chrome`, `chromium`, `edge`, `opera`, `safari`, `brave`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I use username and password?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --username YOUR_USERNAME --password YOUR_PASSWORD URL

    # Or use netrc file
    yt-dlp --netrc URL
    ```

    <Note>
      Many sites block programmatic login. Using cookies is more reliable.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is a .netrc file and how do I use it?">
    A `.netrc` file stores login credentials.

    **Location:**

    * Linux/macOS: `~/.netrc`
    * Windows: `%HOME%\_netrc`

    **Format:**

    ```
    machine youtube
    login your_email@example.com
    password your_password

    machine twitch
    login your_username
    password your_password
    ```

    **Usage:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --netrc URL
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Format Selection

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I list available formats?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp -F URL
    ```

    This shows all formats with IDs, resolutions, codecs, and file sizes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download specific formats?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # By format ID
    yt-dlp -f 137+140 URL

    # By criteria
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]" URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why are video and audio separate?">
    Many sites (especially YouTube) serve high-quality video and audio as separate streams.

    yt-dlp automatically:

    1. Downloads both streams
    2. Merges them using ffmpeg

    <Info>
      This is why ffmpeg is required for best quality downloads.
    </Info>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I prefer MP4 over WEBM?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" URL

    # Or merge to MP4
    yt-dlp --merge-output-format mp4 URL
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Output & File Naming

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I customize output filename?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Basic template
    yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL

    # With uploader and date
    yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s - %(upload_date)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" URL

    # Organize in folders
    yt-dlp -o "%(uploader)s/%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" URL
    ```

    See [Output Templates](/usage/output-templates) for all available fields.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I save to a specific folder?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Using -P option
    yt-dlp -P /path/to/folder URL

    # Using -o with full path
    yt-dlp -o "/path/to/folder/%(title)s.%(ext)s" URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I avoid overwriting files?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Don't overwrite (default)
    yt-dlp --no-overwrites URL

    # Force overwrite
    yt-dlp --force-overwrites URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I restrict filename characters?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # ASCII only
    yt-dlp --restrict-filenames URL

    # Windows-compatible
    yt-dlp --windows-filenames URL
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Post-Processing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I convert video to MP4?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Merge to MP4 container
    yt-dlp --merge-output-format mp4 URL

    # Re-encode to MP4
    yt-dlp --recode-video mp4 URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I embed thumbnail in audio file?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --embed-thumbnail URL
    ```

    Requires `mutagen` (or `AtomicParsley` for M4A).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I embed metadata?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Embed metadata and thumbnail
    yt-dlp --embed-metadata --embed-thumbnail URL

    # Add chapter markers
    yt-dlp --embed-chapters URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I remove ads with SponsorBlock?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Remove sponsor segments
    yt-dlp --sponsorblock-remove sponsor URL

    # Remove all SponsorBlock categories
    yt-dlp --sponsorblock-remove all URL

    # Just mark chapters (don't remove)
    yt-dlp --sponsorblock-mark all URL
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Advanced Usage

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I use a configuration file?">
    Create `~/.config/yt-dlp/config` (Linux/macOS) or `%APPDATA%/yt-dlp/config.txt` (Windows):

    ```
    # Format selection
    -f bestvideo+bestaudio

    # Output template
    -o ~/Videos/%(title)s.%(ext)s

    # Embed metadata
    --embed-metadata
    --embed-thumbnail

    # SponsorBlock
    --sponsorblock-mark all
    ```

    Options in config file are used automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I download from a list of URLs?">
    Create a text file with one URL per line:

    ```bash theme={null}
    yt-dlp --batch-file urls.txt

    # Or from stdin
    cat urls.txt | yt-dlp --batch-file -
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I use yt-dlp with a download manager?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Get direct URL
    yt-dlp -g URL

    # Use with aria2c
    yt-dlp --downloader aria2c --downloader-args "-x 16 -s 16" URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I filter videos in a playlist?">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Only videos shorter than 10 minutes
    yt-dlp --match-filters "duration < 600" PLAYLIST_URL

    # Only videos uploaded this year
    yt-dlp --dateafter now-1year PLAYLIST_URL

    # Exclude live streams
    yt-dlp --match-filters "!is_live" PLAYLIST_URL
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use yt-dlp in my Python script?">
    Yes! See the [Embedding yt-dlp](/advanced/embedding) guide.

    ```python theme={null}
    from yt_dlp import YoutubeDL

    ydl_opts = {'format': 'best'}
    with YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
        ydl.download(['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID'])
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why is my download failing?">
    1. **Update to nightly:**
       ```bash theme={null}
       yt-dlp --update-to nightly
       ```

    2. **Check verbose output:**
       ```bash theme={null}
       yt-dlp --verbose URL
       ```

    3. **Try with cookies:**
       ```bash theme={null}
       yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox URL
       ```

    See the [Troubleshooting](/reference/troubleshooting) guide for more solutions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is yt-dlp slow?">
    * Use external downloader: `--downloader aria2c`
    * Increase concurrent fragments: `-N 10`
    * Check your internet connection
    * Some sites have rate limiting
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where can I get help?">
    * [Troubleshooting Guide](/reference/troubleshooting)
    * [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/discussions)
    * [Discord Server](https://discord.gg/H5MNcFW63r)
    * [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues) (for bugs)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## More Information

For more detailed information, see:

* [Official Documentation](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)
* [Wiki](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/wiki)
* [Format Selection](/usage/format-selection)
* [Output Templates](/usage/output-templates)
* [All Options](/options/overview)